Dining In 2 minutes 14 May 2020
A family recipe and a signature at one MICHELIN star Candlenut, Malcolm Lee’s make-ahead beef rendang freezes well and tastes even better overnight.
Peranakan Recipe Singapore
Beef rendang is a starring dish in chef Malcolm Lee’s repertoire of Peranakan cooking and it appears as frequently at his family dining table as it does on the menu of his one MICHELIN star restaurant Candlenut in Singapore.
“My family loves beef rendang. We can eat it every meal, but it is also served during special occasions like birthdays and Chinese New Year,” says Lee, recalling how it would be the first dish he would go for at his family’s festive tok panjang feasts where a dazzling array of dishes would be laid out on a long table in typical Peranakan style.
Beef rendang is a dish with a long history in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore with variations distinct to individual regions and communities. The harmony of flavours and consistency of the spiced coconut stew often tastes different from family to family, depending on the spice mix used in the rempah.
Lee’s rendition of beef rendang features fork tender short ribs braised slowly in a caramelised coconut curry redolent of galangal, candlenut, lemongrass and warm spices like cinnamon and star anise. His favourite way of eating it? Smothered over steamed white rice, or nasi kunyit, a fragrant yellow rice dish cooked with coconut milk and turmeric.
While the list of herbs and spices seems long and intimidating, it is well worth the effort to cook rendang from scratch when you can make it in a big batch. Like all meat sauces such as Bolognese or meatballs in tomato sauce, curries and rendang can be frozen for months at a time, their hearty flavours holding up well to the freezing process.
Freshly cooked beef rendang can also be eaten over several days — in fact, the chef recommends letting the rendang rest overnight for even deeper flavours. “This really allows the flavour to develop and mature,” he says. “It is a world of a difference eating it straightaway when it’s cooked and eating it a day or two later — try it!”
RELATED:The First Day We Got Our Stars: Malcolm Lee
Beef Rendang
Serves 4, with rice as part of a multi-course meal
500g beef short ribs, cut into 5cm chunks
Ingredients A:
60g peeled shallots
20g peeled garlic
60g big red chilli, stem removed
15g peeled galangal
5g peeled ginger
3g candlenut
Ingredients B:
1 lemongrass, bruised
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 turmeric leaf
1 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
400ml fresh coconut milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
For ground dry spices:
2g fennel seeds
4g coriander seeds
1g black pepper
Ingredients D
35g kerisik (shredded, toasted coconut paste)
2g ground dry spices
Method
1. Blend all the spices from the list of Ingredients A in a food processor until a rough mixture is formed.
2. Place the spice mixture into a big pot and add in coconut milk. Bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, add in the beef chunks and all of Ingredients B.
4. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours on medium-low heat, stirring at intervals, until the meat
becomes tender.
5. Toast the ingredients for the ground dry spices in a dry pan till fragrant. Cool and grind up with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
6. Allow the beef mixture in the big pot to slowly turn brown. At this point, add in
ingredients D.
7. Mix well on continuous low heat, frying till the curry is caramelised and the beef tender but still holding together in chunks. Season with more salt and sugar if necessary.
8. Garnish with sliced chilli and kaffir lime leaf as desired.
RELATED:Pandan Chiffon Cake Recipe from Michelin-Starred Candlenut
Photos courtesy of Candlenut.
Written by Rachel Tan
Rachel Tan is the Associate Digital Editor at the MICHELIN Guide Digital. A former food magazine writer based in Singapore, she has a degree in communications for journalism but is a graduate of the school of hard knocks in the kitchen. She writes to taste life twice.
Dining In
Dining In 1 minute
The Ultimate Secrets to Steamed Fish According to 2-Star 102 House in Shanghai
This Lunar New Year, let chef Xu Jingye, chef of two-MICHELIN-Starred 102 House in Shanghai show you how to prepare the ultimate steamed fish for your upcoming feasts and festivities.
Chinese fish Lunar New Year
Dining In 6 minutes
Lucky Lunar New Year Recipes from MICHELIN-Starred Restaurant Chefs
We asked two chefs from MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau to share their secrets on how to perfect two Lunar New Year classics: Braised Pork Knuckles with Fermented Red Beancurd and Braised Shiitake Mushrooms with Dried Oysters and Black Moss.
Chinese Cuisine Chinese New Year Lunar New Year
Dining In 6 minutes
Lunar New Year Food and Wine Pairing Guide
Here are some tips for pairing three traditional Lunar New Year dishes with wine, as recommended by sommeliers of MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau.
Cantonese Lunar New Year wine pairing
Dining In 7 minutes
Wine Pairing for the Lunar New Year: A Guide By Sommeliers of MICHELIN-starred Restaurants
We invited sommeliers from three MICHELIN-listed restaurants to elaborate on the selection and methods of wine pairing for Chinese dishes, based on two classic Lunar New Year dishes, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and White Poached Chicken, as well as one of their restaurants’ signature dishes.
Lunar New Year Taiwanese cuisine Chinese New Year
All articles of Dining In
Keep Exploring - Stories we think you will enjoy reading
Travel 2 minutes
Hawker Guides: Tiong Bahru Market, Singapore
Check out our MICHELIN Guide inspectors’ top picks at the breezy two-storey Tiong Bahru Market. Delightful delicacies such as Hainanese chicken rice, Hokkien mee, and pig’s organ soup await.
Hawker Centres Local Singapore
Features 2 minutes
The Code of Curry: Rishi Naleendra Shows Us the Curries of Sri Lanka
At Kotuwa, a well-loved Bib Gourmand spot in Singapore, Rishi Naleendra provides an edible crash course on Sri Lanka's famed curry dishes and more.
Singapore Chef Interview Bib Gourmand
Features 3 minutes
Behind the Dish: Poise Singapore's Coq au Vin
At MICHELIN-Starred Poise, Steve Lancaster's original take on the rustic French chicken stew impressed our inspectors greatly. Lancaster shares more about the dish and the inspiration behind it.
Chef Interview Iconic Dishes Michelin Star
Features 5 minutes
Iconic Dishes: 7 Auspicious Eats to Boost Your Luck for the Lunar New Year
With Lunar New Year coming soon, let's trace the origins of seven auspicious eats that symbolise wealth, prosperity, and success in business.
Chinese New Year Iconic Dishes Lunar New Year
Dining In 4 minutes
Recipe: How to Make the Perfect Ee-Fu Noodles by Elegant Inn Kuala Lumpur
Ee-fu Noodles are an auspicious dish that's great for any upcoming occasion. MICHELIN Cantonese restaurant Elegant Inn in Kuala Lumpur shows us how to make the perfect plate.
Noodles Kuala Lumpur Cantonese
Dining Out 2 minutes
January 2024: 4 New Restaurants are Added to the MICHELIN Guide Singapore
Four new restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide Singapore selection this January, showcasing a blend of eateries that span hawker fare and casual joints that showcase innovative cuisines.
Live Updates Singapore Announcement
Dining Out 8 minutes
Chinese New Year 2024: Soar into the Year of the Dragon with These Auspicious MICHELIN Eats in Singapore
Ring in the auspicious year of the dragon — symbolising power, luck, and success in traditional Chinese culture — with these abundant poon choi pots and prosperous yu sheng platters from MICHELIN establishments in Singapore.
Chinese New Year Singapore Chinese Cuisine
Travel 6 minutes
Raffles Hotel Singapore: A Tale of the Iconic 19th Century Hotel
Throughout its 135 years of history, the Grande Dame of Singapore has hosted countless dignitaries and celebrities for good reason. The storied property on Beach Road is not only rich in history, but also in luxurious experiences that will be remembered through time.
Destinations Hotels Travel
Dining Out 5 minutes
Nourishing Winter Menus from MICHELIN Restaurants in Singapore
Aside from festive feasts, December heralds the return of hearty holiday menus that are heavy with comforting nosh at MICHELIN Restaurants in Singapore.
Singapore Holiday Michelin Guide
Dining In 5 minutes
Make Beef Wellington Like a MICHELIN Starred Restaurant Chef
Elaborate and elegant, a Beef Wellington is a stunner at any holiday gathering. And today, Lewis Barker of MICHELIN-starred Sommer shows us how to prepare this British classic.
Christmas English beef
Features 4 minutes
Your 2023 Guide to Holiday Gifting from MICHELIN Restaurants and Hotels in Singapore
Spread the festive cheer with elevated festive hampers and takeaway holiday feasts from these MICHELIN restaurants and hotels in Singapore.
Michelin Guide Asia Christmas Singapore
- MICHELIN Guide
- Magazine
- Dining In
- Recipe: Candlenut’s Make-Ahead Beef Rendang
We use cookies to elevate your user experience, perform audience measurement and enhance the quality of our service. By continuing to browse our services, you accept the use of such cookies.
Accept